Glynn Turman

Glynn Turman is an Emmy Award-winning actor, director, writer, and producer whose career spans more than six decades across stage, film, and television. Turman had his first prominent acting role at age 12 as Travis Younger in the original Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun," performing alongside Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, and Louis Gossett Jr. After graduating from the High School of Performing Arts in New York, he apprenticed in regional and repertory companies throughout the country before settling in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. This foundation in theatrical training established the groundwork for one of the most versatile careers in American entertainment.

Turman gained widespread attention with his breakout role in the coming-of-age film "Cooley High," portraying high school student Leroy Preach Jackson. He went on to appear in films such as "The River Niger," "J.D.'s Revenge," and "A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich," followed by roles in mainstream Hollywood productions including "Gremlins," "Deep Cover," "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," "Men of Honor," "Sahara," "Burlesque," and "Super 8." On television, Turman is known for his roles as math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford Taylor on the NBC sitcom "A Different World" and as Baltimore mayor Clarence Royce on the HBO drama series "The Wire." His portrayal of Mayor Royce earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Turman received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor for his work on the HBO series "In Treatment" and later earned a second Emmy nomination in the same category for ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder." He also portrayed Jeremiah Kaan on the Showtime series "House of Lies," Doctor Senator in the fourth season of the FX series "Fargo," and appeared in the Netflix film "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." Additional television credits include "Queen Sugar," the ABC limited series "Women of the Movement," Guillermo del Toro's "Cabinet of Curiosities," Hulu's "Black Cake," and Disney+ series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" as Chiron. Turman won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Television Series, Special, or Movie.

Turman's contributions to cinema and television are recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located next to Sidney Poitier's star. In addition to his on-screen work, Turman directed episodes of "A Different World" and other sitcoms including "The Parent 'Hood" and "The Wayans Bros." He has also performed and produced a one-man show, "Movin' Man," about his life. Outside of entertainment, Turman is an accomplished horseman, winning the state's Regional Team Roping Finals, placing in the top five in the National U.S. Team Roping Champion Finals, and being inducted into the Western Heritage Multi-Cultural Museum's Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. He founded Camp Gid D Up to teach horse skills and values to urban youth in southern California and has served as co-grand marshal for the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, celebrating Black cowboys, for nearly 40 years. Turman's legacy reflects artistic achievement, cultural influence, and a lifelong dedication to his craft.